Department of Salivary Biomarker Research and Studies (DERBS)

The Department of Salivary Biomarker Research and Studies, co-directed by Prof. Deville de Périère and Prof. Hirtz, was established through scientific partnerships linking faculty researchers from the School of Dentistry with the Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Proteomics (LBPC, CHU) and the Clinical Proteomics Platform at the Montpellier University Hospital. The Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Proteomics (LBPC) in Montpellier is a laboratory specializing in the measurement of clinical biomarkers in neuropathologies and in proteomics research. It is directed by Prof. Sylvain Lehmann and is located within the Institute for Research in Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy (IRMB). The LBPC houses a technological platform, the Clinical Proteomics Platform (PPC), directed by Prof. Christophe Hirtz (Department of Dentistry).

It grew out of the scientific legacy of the first research group at the School of Dentistry (EA 2988), led by Dominique Deville de Périère, which focused on salivary physiology and neuroendocrinology.

This research department, located on the Odontology Faculty campus, leads clinical research projects focusing primarily on salivary biomarkers, as well as more broadly on biomarkers from the orofacial region (such as gingival crevicular fluid and dental plaque). It offers nationally and internationally recognized expertise in clinical biochemical and proteomic analysis.

He was instrumental in establishing the first national bank of saliva samples, housed at the Biological Resource Center (CRB) of the Montpellier University Hospital (Prof. S. Lehmann, Prof. D. Deville de Périère).

Biomarkers: Biochemistry/Proteomics

For these projects, several technological approaches focused on the use of clinical samples and high-throughput analysis are available (design and implementation of quantitative and qualitative mass spectrometry methods, protein identification in biological matrices, and ultra-sensitive and multiplex immunoassays).

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The PPC aims to leverage the latest technological advances in proteomics for the discovery, validation, and application of biomarkers in a wide range of human diseases. As part of the IBiSA-certified Montpellier Proteome Cluster, its goal is also to provide academic and industrial teams with medical, biological, and technical expertise in clinical proteomics. The PPC is ISO 9001:2015 certified.

Establishment of the first national saliva sample bank

The DERBS team at the Faculty of Dentistry, after establishing the first standard protocol for the preservation of saliva samples, was instrumental in creating the first national bank of saliva samples and , more broadly, samples from the oral cavity (sulcular fluid, dental plaque, etc.). This biobank, established with the support of the University Hospital and the Montpellier Biological Resource Center, is under the responsibility of Prof. Dominique Deville de Périère (Faculty of Dentistry) and Prof. Sylvain Lehmann (CRB).

Projects

• AOI SALIVALZ (2011): The Value of Salivary Abeta42 Peptide Assays for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Alzheimer’s Disease
• AOI Blackstain (2016): Proteomic analysis of dental plaque in children with Black Stain
• Parksyn (2017): The value of measuring salivary alpha-synuclein compared to performing a DAT-scan as a diagnostic tool for distinguishing between idiopathic Parkinson’s disease and iatrogenic Parkinsonism.
• BIOPARO (2017): Multiplex analysis of serum biomarkers in the saliva of patients with chronic periodontitis and aggressive periodontitis using quantitative mass spectrometry (LC-MRM): a feasibility study

Bibliography

• Hirtz C, Chevalier F, Centeno D, Egea J.C, Rossignol M, Sommerer N, Deville de Périère D (2005). Complexity of the human whole saliva proteome.Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry. 61(3):469-80.

• Hirtz C, Chevalier F, Centeno D, Rofidal V, Egea J.C, Rossignol M, Sommerer N, and Deville de Périère D (2005). MS characterization of multiple forms of alpha-amylase in human saliva.Proteomics. 5(17):4597–607.

• Hirtz C, Chevalier F, Raingeard I, Egea JC, Sommerer N, Bringer J, Rossignol M, Deville de Périère D (2006). Salivary protein profiling in type 1 diabetes using 2-D electrophoresis and mass spectrometry.Clinical Proteomics. 2 (1-2): 117-128.

• Hirtz C, Chevalier F, Chay S, Frédéric Cuisinier, Sommerer N, Rossignol M, D Deville de Périère (2007). Proteomic Studies of Saliva: A Proposal for Standardized Handling of Clinical Samples.Clinical Proteomics. 1559-0275-Online. 

• Morzel M, Neyraud E, Brignot H, Ducoroy P, Jeannin A, Lucchi G, Truntzer C, Canlet C, Tremblay-Franco M,Hirtz C, Gaillard S, Peretti N, Feron G. (2015) Multi-omics profiling reveals that feeding difficulties developing following artificial nutrition in the neonatal period are associated with specific saliva composition.J Proteomics.128:105-12.

• Hirtz C,Vialaret J, Nowak N, Gabelle A, Deville de Périère D, and Lehmann S (2016). Absolute quantification of 35 plasma biomarkers in human saliva using targeted mass spectrometry.Bioanalysis. Jan;8(1):43-53.